BVT to provide warship support

BVT Surface Fleet has been awarded a seven-year contract worth £309m by the Ministry of Defence to support the Royal Navy’s newest destroyers, the Type 45 class.

BVT Surface Fleet (BVT) has been awarded a seven-year contract worth £309m by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support the Royal Navy’s newest destroyers, the Type 45 class.

The contract will cover in-service support for platform equipment such as the galley apparatus and more complex machinery including the propulsion system, in HMS Daring and its sister ships beginning from January 2010.

HMS Daring is expected to enter service in February 2010, and according to the Royal Navy will provide a step-change in the Royal Navy’s air defence capability.

Quentin Davies, minister for defence equipment and support, said: ‘BVT brings in-depth knowledge of these destroyers that will assure the high-quality support that is essential to the continued delivery of this world-class capability.’

The contract is expected to secure around 120 jobs directly as well as hundreds of jobs indirectly through the supply chain across the UK. Most of the maintenance work will be carried out at Portsmouth Naval Base, the Type 45’s home port.

Davies added: ‘The Type 45 is setting the standard for the modern Royal Navy, providing a multi-role asset combining state-of-the-art power and propulsion systems, a world-class weapons system and modern accommodation for its crew.’

Rear admiral Bob Love, director of ships at MoD Defence Equipment and Support, said: ‘The Type 45 support solution is an innovative contract which sees the prime contractor for the build of the ships providing in-service support, ensuring high-quality support at best value of money for defence.

‘BVT will manage equipment availability to agreed targets, incentivising them to minimise the cost of support by improving equipment reliability. This is the first time this arrangement has been used for a major warship.’